The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity

In this new and substantially expanded Third Edition, Philip Jenkins continues to illuminate the remarkable expansion of Christianity in the global South - in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Drawing upon the extensive new scholarship that has appeared on this topic in recent years, he asks how the new Christianity is likely to affect the poor, among whom it finds its most devoted adherents. How should we interpret the enormous success of prosperity churches across the Global South? Politically, what will be the impact of new Christian movements?

The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, Revised and Updated: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation

In The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, Justo L. González, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought, presents a narrative history of Christianity from the early church to the dawn of the Protestant reformation. From Jesus' faithful apostles to the early reformist John Wycliffe, González skillfully traces core theological issues and developments within the various traditions of the church, including major events outside of Europe, such as the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of the New World.

Church History in Plain Language: Fourth Edition

With more than 315,000 print copies sold, this is the story of the church for today’s listeners. Dr. Bruce Shelley makes church history come alive in this classic audiobook that has become not only the first choice of many laypeople and church leaders but the standard text in many college classrooms.

The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation

The light of the Christian faith is flickering out all over the West. American churches are beset by a rapidly secularizing culture, the departure of young people, and watered-down pseudo-spirituality. Political solutions have failed, as the self-destruction of the Republican Party indicates, and the future of religious freedom has never been in greater doubt. The center is not holding. The West, cut off from its Christian roots, is falling into a new Dark Age.

Simple Christianity

John MacArthur has an answer for those finding the Christian life too complicated, their zeal diminished, and their relationship with Jesus growing cold and predictable. Award-winning author and respected pastor-teacher John MacArthur reminds us in A Simple Christianity that what's been lost can be found, and tells us how!

Thomas Merton: A Life Inspired

Thomas Merton is one of the most famous American Catholic authors of the twentieth century. A prolific writer, Merton published 36 books and collections of poems over the span of 27 years, and has 38 posthumous publications that bear his name. Even more impressive than his voluminous output, however, is his deep spirituality that enraptured generations of people seeking intimate union with God.

The Apostle: A Life of Paul

The acclaimed biography of the early church's greatest evangelist, the Apostle Paul. Master storyteller John Pollock makes Paul and his amazing story freshly alive, so that you can know the greatest apostle much as Luke and Timothy did as they traveled with him. As you listen, you'll sense Paul's motives, his aims and priorities; what mattered to him; and what he was willing to die for.

The Person of Jesus: Radio Addresses on the Deity of the Savior

In his renowned book Christianity and Liberalism, Machen took a stand for the truth. In these radio talks, Machen exposits the truth for us once more - this time about the supernatural person of Jesus.

The Reformation: A History

At a time when men and women were prepared to kill - and be killed - for their faith, the Protestant Reformation tore the Western world apart. Acclaimed as the definitive account of these epochal events, Diarmaid MacCulloch's award-winning history brilliantly recreates the religious battles of priests, monarchs, scholars, and politicians - from the zealous Martin Luther and his 95 Theses to the polemical John Calvin to the radical Igantius Loyola, from the tortured Thomas Cranmer to the ambitious Philip II.

The Sun Still Shines: How a Brain Tumor Helped Me See the Light

In a candid and witty memoir, Jodi recounts how her life was transformed when, as a 33-year-old wife and mother, she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Unwilling to accept her new fate, Jodi's family searches for a doctor who will join their fight against the odds.

The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus's Crucifixion

In The Day the Revolution Began, N. T. Wright once again challenges commonly held Christian beliefs, as he did in Surprised by Hope. Demonstrating the rigorous intellect and breathtaking knowledge that have long defined his work, Wright argues that Jesus' death on the cross was not only to absolve us of our sins, it was actually the beginning of a revolution commissioning the Christian faithful to a new vocation - a royal priesthood responsible for restoring and reconciling all of God's creation.

How We Got the Bible

How We Got the Bible provides factual, accessible answers to questions such as: How and when did the books of the Bible originate? In what sense are these books different from other books? How have these books been preserved and transmitted to us? Why do we have so many different translations of the Bible? A popular guide for Bible students, it has sold more than one million copies during its 40 years in print. Learn about the development of the most important book in history.

The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important That Happens in Between

Biblical Christianity is more than just another private religious view. It's more than just a personal relationship with God or a source of moral teaching. Christianity is a picture of reality. It explains why the world is the way it is. When the pieces of this puzzle are properly assembled, we see the big picture clearly. Christianity is a true story of how the world began, why the world is the way it is, what role humans play in the drama, and how all the plotlines of the story are resolved in the end.

David and the Psalms

People are fascinated by the concept of royalty. The notion stirs up sentiments of love, admiration, and hatred. We see ourselves in them, and yet we criticize them at times with indignation. While most monarchies today have been put aside or at least limited in their power, the concept of royalty cannot be erased from human consciousness. In the words of Jesus, Christians pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven."

The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus

In The Misunderstood Jew, scholar Amy-Jill Levine helps Christians and Jews understand the "Jewishness" of Jesus so that their appreciation of him deepens and a greater interfaith dialogue can take place. Levine's humor and informed truth - telling provokes honest conversation and debate about how Christians and Jews should understand Jesus, the New Testament, and each other.

Introduction to Judaism

As a religion, culture, and civilization, Judaism has evolved in surprising ways during its long and remarkable history. In this series of 24 lectures, Professor Cherry explores this rich religious heritage from biblical times to today. From the first lecture on the Torah to the last on the Jews as the Chosen People, this course is packed with truly fascinating information.

God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades

In God's Battalions, award-winning author Rodney Stark takes on the long-held view that the Crusades were the first round of European colonialism, conducted for land, loot, and converts by barbarian Christians who victimized the cultivated Muslims. To the contrary, Stark argues that the Crusades were the first military response to unwarranted Muslim terrorist aggression.

Lost Christianities: The Battles of Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew

The early Christian Church was a chaos of contending beliefs. Some groups of Christians claimed that there was not one God but two or twelve or thirty. Some believed that the world had not been created by God but by a lesser, ignorant deity. Certain sects maintained that Jesus was human but not divine, while others said he was divine but not human.

The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God

Written by a preeminent religious historian, this book provides an introduction to early Christian thought. Focusing on major figures such as St. Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa, as well as s host of less well known thinkers, Robert Wilken chronicles the emergence of a specifically Christian intellectual tradition.

Welcome to the Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity

Welcome to the Orthodox Church - its history, theology, worship, spirituality, and daily life. This friendly guide provides a comprehensive introduction to Orthodoxy, but with a twist: listeners learn by making a series of visits to a fictitious church, and get to know the faith as new Christians did for most of history, by immersion. Mathews-Green provides commentary and explanations on everything from how to "venerate" an icon, the Orthodox understanding of the atonement, to the Lenten significance of tofu.

How God Became King: The Forgotten Story of the Gospels

New Testament scholar N. T. Wright reveals how we have been misreading the Gospels for centuries, powerfully restoring the lost central story of the scripture: that the coronation of God through the acts of Jesus was the climax of human history. Wright fills the gaps that centuries of misdirection have opened up in our collective spiritual story, tracing a narrative from Eden to Jesus to today.

Letters from a Skeptic: A Son Wrestles With His Father's Questions About Christianity

Greg Boyd longed for his father to know Christ. But as a former atheist turned believer, Greg understood Ed Boyd's reservations. So he offered a unique invitation: His father could write Greg with any questions on Christianity, and he would in turn deliver a thoughtful response. What began as an intimate correspondence between father and son soon captivated seekers everywhere.

Judges for You: For Reading, for Feeding, for Leading

Second in a new series of expository guides to the Bible, Timothy Keller's Judges for You walks you through the book of Judges, showing how the flawless God is at work in the most flawed situations and the most failing people.

Combining a close attention to the detail of the text with Timothy Keller's trademark gift for clear explanation and compelling insights, this resource will both engage your mind and stir your heart.

Publisher's Summary

The Lost History of Christianity will change how we understand Christian and world history. Leading religion scholar Philip Jenkins reveals a vast Christian world to the east of the Roman Empire and how the earliest, most influential churches of the East---those that had the closest link to Jesus and the early church---died. In this paradigm-shifting book, Jenkins recovers a lost history, showing how the center of Christianity for centuries used to be the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, extending as far as China.

Without this lost history, we can't understand Islam or the Middle East, especially Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Complete with maps, statistics, and fascinating stories and characters that no one in the media or the general public has ever heard of, The Lost History of Christianity will immerse the listener in a lost world that was once the heart of Christianity.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Lost History of Christianity?

Lost History isn't the best book I've ever read, but it was a learning experience. I've even taken some courses on Christian history before, and outside of a few paragraphs here or there, almost none of the "lost history" was covered. There really was no part of the book that didn't offer some good insight or things to think about. That said, however, there is little fluff in the book and it is crammed full of information and it really would take a few readings to digest it all. There was so much information that if I had to take a test over this book, I would be really worried right at the moment.<br/><br/>One of unexpected pluses of the book is that it isn't just a history of Christianity. It covered Christianity in relation to other religions in the Middle East, and in doing so, also went a long way in giving some history of said other religions (Islam, Buddhism, etc.). In fact, I found the author to be really fair on his assessments. For instance, he pointed out some periods of history where Islam won battles and gained ground, and Christians wrote that they were actually glad to not be under the rule of Rome any more. And when history changed and Christian persecution under Islam escalated, he didn't gloss over things or make excuses for them. But at no point did I feel he wasn't pretty fair to all parties involved, even though the book was obviously written from a Christian viewpoint of the events.<br/><br/>All in all, Jenkins is a gifted writer, and he gave me a new way to look at certain things...things I have seen as "watering down" Christianity for decades now, I at least have a little different perspective on now.

Any additional comments?

I saw one reviewer state that at one point in his life, he didn't think some of the groups -- Jacobites, Nestorians, etc. -- were true Christians. I might get a few details wrong here, but I got a chuckle of out one part of Lost History where a representative from Rome finally got to visit Christians in Ethiopia (I think), and they treated him badly and said he was not saved because he was outside of the Ethiopian church hierarchy. Yep. They were real Christians, all right!

My reaction to this book is mixed. The author spends an inordinate amount of space stating & restating that a major part of Christian history has been ignored... the history of the eastern church and its theology. I began to wonder if he ever was going to get around to that history and those beliefs. IMHO, much of the first & second chapters could be omitted. For me, the meat of the book begins at chapter 3 (approx 2 hr 45 min on the timer).

I did learn a great deal of fascinating information-- I'd often wondered about Coptic and Syriac Christianity, both of which get cursory treatment in most church histories. They tend to be dismissed as heresy, apparently unworthy of further discussion for that reason. I had read that eastern Christian missionaries had gone as far as India & China long before the West began to visit Asia; however, I didn't realize that sizable eastern Christian communities had developed in the East.

Up front, what you should know is that the author doesn't write as a historian, ie there is a great deal of commentary and interpretation interspersed with the facts. If you are expecting an "objective" history, look elsewhere (objective in quotes because true objectivity is impossible in the real world). The author's judgments change depending on the time & circumstances discussed-- the bias isn't consistent one way or the other. He is generally negative about the later Muslim treatment of eastern Christians but less so about the earlier years.

The narrator is OK but not riveting. On the other hand, I'm not sure how one could render the text less prosaically.

This was an amazing listen. I am one who enjoys reading about the history of the Christian faith. This is an amazing addition to anyone who wants to get a better understanding of broader Christian history in general or even a more accurate perspective of the history of the middle east before and after the coming of Islam. I was initially skeptical of the claims the book makes in its title, but the author really highlights aspects of Christian history left almost completely out of most textbooks because of a lack of knowledge or because of the dismissal of the Christian groups represented in the near east because of their belief in what have been considered "divergent" doctrines by more western centered Churches. I think the author is fair in his treatment of the interactions, conflicts, and differences between the two faiths of Christianity and Islam. I also think those listeners who are themselves Christians, whether liberal or conservative in theology, will find things to learn and profit from in this book. If you are at all interested in the topic, I don't think you will be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this book. it is a great reminder that the Christan church is a history spanning colossus. We as modern Christians stand on the shoulders of many many people who have gone before. This book was a great read and an encouragement especially in a time of political and economic uncertainty. the church still exists today even though it was wiped out in the middle east and Asian at one time.

This book tells the forgotten history of Christianity's expansion throughout the Middle East and Asia. Few today think of Christianity when they think of cities like Bagdad, but that is just one example of a city that had been a seat of Christian learning before the advent of Islam. This explains the growth of the Syriac speaking church eastward as far as Tibet, China and Japan. After detailing the growth and splendor of the Eastern Church, it also details the reasons for its decline. Throughout this tale, descriptions of the conditions present in Europe under the influence of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches are provided for comparison.

This is an excellent historical study that should be of great interest to anyone with an interest in the growth and development of Christianity. The narrator, Dick Hill, is marvelous. He does a terrific job of narrating this book. I will be anxious to listen to other works of his.

Once you realize the perspective and bias of the author, the book is helpful and informative. He is coming from the perspective that distinctives within a religion are irrelevant (and even from one religion to another). He dismisses the importance of the uniqueness of Orthodox and Nestorian positions; both Nestorians and Orthodox of these early days would have rejected his assumption that these differences were irrelevant or minor. Good information in here though.

Jenkins is an eloquently disseminates a complex history of faith found and lost and found again into a murky yet distinct pathway shared by fellow religious pilgrims that may not be brothers but cousins of believing communities occupying the same spaces only at different times.

The author uses many examples that aren't explained such as how far a she elephant can walk in a day. But never explains how far that is. Uses ancient country names which leaves the reader wondering where that is. This just continues and continues. I gave up on the book after two chapters. There is a great story here if the author had taken the time to write it properly.

This doesn't really present any sort of historical narrative, except of the nineteenth century, which can hardly be considered lost. It's mostly a series of loosely connected factoids or anecdotes, with a large dose of pontificating.

The author does little to distinguish the two principal strains of "Asiatic" Christianity. He opens the book by stating that they were called Nestorian and Jacobite churches, but that these terms are disliked by members of those churches. Nevertheless, he uses these terms throughout the book. Common names for these churches are "Church of the East" and the "Monophysite" or "Oriental Orthodox" churches. The latter include the Armenian Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Coptic churches.

The two differ quite a bit from what I can gather. The Monophysite churches have icons, as the Catholic and Orthodox churches do, but the Church of the East is iconoclast. There are theological differences as well, with the Catholic/Orthodox position occupying middle ground between the two, but this isn't discussed to any extent.

I still seek basic information like the historical origins and development of these churches and what political entities they coincided with. I especially want to find out more about the Church of the East, which was once very large but may now have been finally destroyed by Islamic terrorists in Iraq.

The one thing I did get out of this is a clear statement that they had the same four gospels that we have and no others!